55 gallon

This is a discussion on 55 gallon within the Beginner Saltwater Aquariums forums, part of the Saltwater Fish and Coral Reef Tanks category; -->
hello, im new to the forum. i have quite a few questions. right now i currently have a 10 gallon reef tank. i am ...

hello, im new to the forum. i have quite a few questions. right now i currently have a 10 gallon reef tank. i am upgrading to a 55 gallon. i am going to make it a fowlr tank. could anyone help me with the filteration, what type of salt would be best, how many power heads would be suffeceint, just pretty much all the basics. i am very fimilar with the live rock, live sand, fish everything like that. i am just curious on what kind of equipment i would need. thank you for all the help!

Welcome to the forum! While I cannot really suggest any equipment there are plenty here that can. You should check out some of the user written articles on the forum relating to saltwater tanks, I've been reading them, getting a little aquainted with saltwater setups and must say they are very informative.

55 gallon tanks are narrow and are alittle more tricky to place your live rock then in a wider tank. standard 75 gallon tanks are the same lenght but alittle wider then a 55. im not saying you cant use the 55 gallon as your tank, the extra width of the 75 makes aquascaping your rocks easier. can you post a stocking list of what you wish to keep?

55 gallon tanks are narrow and are alittle more tricky to place your live rock then in a wider tank. standard 75 gallon tanks are the same lenght but alittle wider then a 55. im not saying you cant use the 55 gallon as your tank, the extra width of the 75 makes aquascaping your rocks easier. can you post a stocking list of what you wish to keep?

i have not purchased the tank yet so i am highly considering the 75 now. would this size tank need a sump for sure or could i just get a good quality hang on skimmer? what about a 100 gallon? how hard are these to keep compared to a 55 or a 75 gallon? it will be a fish only with live rock so i am not really planning on any corals and as of the fish im not sure. it will just be a decision in the future. it will probably be more little fish and shrimp and such.

55 gallon tanks are narrow and are alittle more tricky to place your live rock then in a wider tank. standard 75 gallon tanks are the same lenght but alittle wider then a 55. im not saying you cant use the 55 gallon as your tank, the extra width of the 75 makes aquascaping your rocks easier. can you post a stocking list of what you wish to keep?

i have been doing a lot of research and a lot of thinking.. i need help from anyone please. would it be better for me to get a 55 gallon tank+ all the things to go with it or should i just get a 29 gallon biocube?

what about a 100 gallon? how hard are these to keep compared to a 55 or a 75 gallon? it will be a fish only with live rock so i am not really planning on any corals and as of the fish im not sure..

There is no debate at all on this. The 100 gallon would be MUCH easier to care for. And your fish selections would open up to some more popular fish. For example, you would never put a Tang in a 55, but in a 100 you have these options. I would suggest measuring your floor space and purchasing the largest aquarium your wallet can handle, because care gets easier and less time consuming as the tanks get bigger. (within reason of course)

For any of these size tanks, I would highly suggest an overflow with a sump. A pre drilled overflow is easiest. Your sump will house a protein skimmer, and give you a place for additional equipment, such as the heater, activated carbon, and a UV Sterilizer if you like. ( I recommend this.)

The price on the skimmer will go up a bit as the tank gets larger, but not a lot. An extra $100 or so can really be the difference in a 55 gallon vs. 125 gallon skimmer. The same can be said for the return pump, which won't really by much more costly.

There is no debate at all on this. The 100 gallon would be MUCH easier to care for. And your fish selections would open up to some more popular fish. For example, you would never put a Tang in a 55, but in a 100 you have these options. I would suggest measuring your floor space and purchasing the largest aquarium your wallet can handle, because care gets easier and less time consuming as the tanks get bigger. (within reason of course)

For any of these size tanks, I would highly suggest an overflow with a sump. A pre drilled overflow is easiest. Your sump will house a protein skimmer, and give you a place for additional equipment, such as the heater, activated carbon, and a UV Sterilizer if you like. ( I recommend this.)

The price on the skimmer will go up a bit as the tank gets larger, but not a lot. An extra $100 or so can really be the difference in a 55 gallon vs. 125 gallon skimmer. The same can be said for the return pump, which won't really by much more costly.

thank you for all the information! one of the things i was worrying about in the 100 gallon tank was defiantly the expense of the live rock. i am just curious, i have a wet/dry filter right now i used a while back on a 55 gallon. i do not like it what so ever. could i take the bio balls out along with all the filter pads and just add the sand bed in the first chamber and live rock in the second to create a sump? of course i would have the over flow box and the powerhead going back to the tank.

You can use the old wet dry to create a sump, but I would not use it as described. I would empty the bio balls and filter pads, then modify the unit to contain a protein skimmer, and possibly a refugium. Can you post pictures of this sump and the dimension of each section? Then we can get very specific.

You can use the old wet dry to create a sump, but I would not use it as described. I would empty the bio balls and filter pads, then modify the unit to contain a protein skimmer, and possibly a refugium. Can you post pictures of this sump and the dimension of each section? Then we can get very specific.